Are you starting to think about entering retirement soon? Congratulations! Retirement is a significant milestone in a person’s life. Retirement also brings on a whirlwind of feelings. Until now, you’ve probably focused on family, career, and finances. Life may have just seemed to happen, and you moved with it in a logical direction. But now, the world is your oyster. You can move in any direction and do anything you choose. And that can be a bit overwhelming. What exactly should you do — do you want to do — during your retirement?
Start by breaking it down a bit. What are your retirement goals? When you look at yourself in retirement, what do you envision doing? How do you imagine yourself feeling? Those questions can start raising “what’s next” thoughts, and you can use that for the well-being side of retirement planning to create a life that truly brings you joy. Retirement planning isn’t all about money, and you can create a purposeful retirement that promotes physical, emotional, and social health in addition to facilitating financial well-being. Here’s how to get started.
Developing a Sense of Purpose: What Will You Do in Retirement?
This question is where most people start. Consider the activities and goals you’ve always wanted to pursue. Create a list of things you’d love to do, places you’d like to visit, and ways you can give back to your community through volunteering or mentoring. This is your brainstorming session. Don’t worry about right or wrong or about possible or impossible. We tend to label things as we list them out. Hold back for now and create the list before you start assigning value.
Having a clear sense of purpose can make your retirement more fulfilling. Your brainstorming session might reveal hidden ideas you may wish to explore now that you have the time.
Maintain Your Social Connections: Who Will You Spend Your Time With?
For many of us, our social lives are intertwined with our careers. Our worlds revolve around work groups and events during most weekdays. It may be more difficult to prioritize spending time with distant family and friends while we’re focused on working — and spending many hours a day socializing with colleagues.
Staying social is important, but it can fall by the wayside during retirement once we’re no longer working around colleagues. What will you do to maintain your existing relationships? What will you do to forge new ones? Technology offers many ways to stay in touch with family, friends, and peers you’ve connected with through the years while giving you ways to dive into new friend groups, too.
This is where your new sense of purpose can also build new connections. Meeting new people who share your passions can help you build a strong support network in retirement. Start new routines. Build a new approach to your morning activities. Try a mindfulness routine, a healthy breakfast, and a brisk walk with friends. Maybe this will lead you to a walking club in your local community and give you new friends to join up with from time to time.
Plan for Healthy Aging: How Will You Care for Your Health as You Age?
There are two approaches to healthy aging: active and reactive. With more time available, why not take an active approach and work to improve your health before you notice symptoms of conditions developing? According to data from the National Institutes of Health, the number of adults practicing meditation tripled between 2012 and 2017, from 4.1% to 14.2%. Mediation has many benefits, including:
- Boosting the immune system, which can help with various inflammatory conditions
- Reducing chronic pain by allowing you to focus on breathing and get in touch with how your body feels in the present moment
- Enhancing strength, flexibility, and balance, which can help prevent falls
- Improving sleep
- Lowering blood pressure and improving hypertension
- Slowing the process of memory loss and allowing you to retain more of what you learn
This is just one way of approaching aging healthily. With a little research, you can find many ways to stay active and get healthier to enjoy retirement more.
Identify Hobbies and Activities You Love: Where Will You Devote Your Time?
Finish this sentence: “I used to love to…” When we were younger and had more time, we all had hobbies that piqued our interest. Maybe you once liked to paint. Or dance. Or travel. Or invest in the stock market. Or bake desserts.
This is a good place to start. Pick one or two and move forward with them, either on your own or by taking a class. Consider keeping a journal to document your experiences, feelings, and accomplishments, which can be a source of motivation and reflection on your journey.
The good news is that you have time to explore. If something doesn’t hold your interest, you can move on to something else. Try to approach every activity with an open mind, and move forward with the process. You never know when something might end up holding your attention.
Retirement Is Here: What’s Next for You?
Welcome to the world of retirement! It’s not just the end of your career; it’s the beginning of an exciting new chapter. While financial planning is a vital piece of the puzzle, remember that your overall well-being is equally important. As you continue your journey, remember to create a holistic retirement strategy encompassing all aspects of your life. From your physical health to your emotional fulfillment, this is your time to thrive.
Resource Links
“Meditation and Mindfulness: What You Need to Know” via the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health